Snikken en grimlachjes

Typical for Paaltjens' poetry is the combination of romantic clichés (unrequited love, grand emotions, the natural world), irony, and crude reality.

In the preface of the first edition, printed in 1867 by Schiedam-based publisher Roelants, Haverschmidt gives a short profile of Paaltjens, which is contemptuous towards the work: "I also cannot find any moral purpose in it.

Here Snikken en Grimlachjes is described as "rhymes of my youth" and the author claims that he burnt poems of later date, "to warm a kettle of bishop".

This edition also saw the addition of Latin translations of Immortellen I and LXXII, written by his friend Adriaan van Wessem ("Adrianus Arena Ictus").

Latin translations of Immortellen XXV and XCVI, and De zelfmoordenaar ("The self-murderer") were added to the appendix, again provided by Van Wessem.